“If what you are saying is true, a murder investigation could take months or longer. How do we know you won’t use the time to run off to Venezuela or something?” said Jack.

“I won’t.”

“You need to give us something,” said Jack. “We need credibility to know you are not lying to us before we let you go. I don’t even care if … I don’t know, maybe one night you killed someone who was your competition. Anything. Something we can verify to know you’re being straight with us and then we’ll let you go.”

Virgil swallowed and looked closely at Jack and said, “You said you wouldn’t bust me for something I did, or tell any other cops … as long as I was giving you something more important … right?”

“That’s what I said! Quit screwin’ around. Out with it.”

“So, like some guys who have murdered five people and plan on doing three more is pretty important, right?”

“Yes, it would be important if it was true,” said Jack in exasperation.

“Okay then … so those murders would trump … say, a rape, right?”

Jack felt the bile erupt into the back of his throat as his stomach tensed in anticipation of what he knew he was about to hear.

Chapter Six

Amanda awoke and saw a figure moving toward her in the darkened bedroom. She screamed while hysterically pushing herself backward on the cot.

“Amanda!” yelled Wendy. “It’s me!” she added, while frantically clawing at the wall to turn on the light switch.

“Oh, God,” sobbed Amanda, covering her eyes with her hands. “I was asleep and woke up. I thought —”

“I’m sorry,” cried Wendy. “I heard one of the kids and went to check. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Mommy!” cried out Megan, running into the room and leaping on the cot to hug her mother. “Is the bad man back?” she asked, looking around in panic.

“No, sweetie,” replied Amanda, holding Megan tight while trying to get her own body to stop shaking.

“What’s wrong, Mommy?”

Amanda kissed Megan on the cheeks several times before using the corner of a sheet to wipe the tears from Megan’s eyes. “I was having a bad dream. Everything is okay.”

“Were you dreaming about the bad man?”

“No, honey. Forget about the bad man. Everything is okay.”

“What were you dreaming about?” persisted Megan.

“A real scary movie. I shouldn’t have watched it. That’s why I don’t let you watch certain shows.”

Tears streamed down Wendy’s own face as she watched. She felt sickened by the commotion she had caused and knew it would be a long time, if ever, before Amanda or Megan recovered from the horror they had endured.

Does murder trump rape? Jack’s brain felt numb as he questioned his own values. Can I go along with this? In his heart he knew if Virgil was telling the truth, then solving five murders and preventing the murders of three more innocent people left no doubt as to the decision he should make.

Virgil was intently focused on Jack’s face and did not see the dark scowl cross Laura’s face, but Jack did. To come down hard on Virgil would shut him up. He knew he had to act fast, or it would scare Virgil off from talking.

Jack cleared his throat and did his best to look calm and sound nonchalant. “Oh, yeah, for sure. Sexual assault is a far cry from murdering people.”

Virgil smiled. He felt like he was in control of the situation and decided to exert some confidence. “So I got your word?” he demanded. “The both of you?” he said, looking back and forth at them. “I tell you about something I did as credibility to prove I’m being straight and then we’ve got a deal?”

Jack saw Laura looking at him for a response. Her expression was solemn, her face ashen. For a moment, Jack wrestled with his conscience. Am I doing the right thing?

“Well?” asked Virgil.

“You’ve got my word,” sighed Jack. “We will keep this between the three of us and we won’t disclose anything to anyone to burn you. Our primary objective is to catch the murderers, if they exist.”

“Oh, they exist all right.”

“But like I said,” continued Jack, “you’re not immune if some other cop finds out what you did and you are not immune from any future criminal acts unless you have our approval.”

“Understood.” Virgil smiled. “And you, my lovely?” he asked, looking at Laura. “Do I have your word?”

Laura’s response was more of a deep-throated growl. She grabbed him by the throat while at the same time kicking him behind the knee and slamming him to the ground.

Virgil tried to cry out, but his Adam’s apple was being crushed by Laura’s grip and all he could do was emit a painful gurgle as she sat on top of him.

Jack placed a hand on Laura’s shoulder, but she ignored it and leaned down so her face was almost touching Virgil’s as he squirmed his head in the dirt in an attempt to break her grasp. “I am not your lovely,” snarled Laura. “You will treat me with respect! And yes, you pathetic little man, you have my word.” With that, she released her grip and stood up.

Virgil gagged and coughed for a moment, then lay there panting as he stared up at Laura.

“Get up,” said Jack. “You’re not hurt.”

Virgil rolled over onto his knees and staggered to his feet. He glared at Laura as he regained his balance. “You can’t do that!” He stopped, before coughing out some more words. “I was being honest with you guys! I want my lawyer! I’m not saying another fucking word!”

“We gave you our word we will not burn you,” said Jack. “Under the circumstances, it is the best option you have.”

“Yeah, right,” replied Virgil sarcastically. “If I say something, you two will turn me in.”

“Virgil,” said Jack, shaking his head. “We haven’t given you your rights. Anything you tell us, give us, or show us would be inadmissible in court. Also, we gave you our word.”

“Yeah? What about her word?” demanded Virgil, with a nod of his head toward Laura. “You saw what she did to me. What good is her fucking word?”

“She did that because she is angry. Angry that she will keep her word, even for a lowlife like yourself. If she was going to turn you in, she wouldn’t feel so angry.”

“I don’t know …”

“Quit procrastinating and start talking,” snapped Jack. “Otherwise I’ll let her take you into the woods while I hold back to make a phone call. After what you hinted at, I have a strong feeling she will be coming back out alone.”

“She couldn’t get away with that!”

“Really?” sneered Jack. “I can see her statement. She took your cuffs off to let you pee. That’s when you tried to grab her gun …”

Virgil looked nervously at Laura who did not blink as she gave him a cold, hard stare. Within seconds, Virgil’s shoulders slumped. “Okay, where do I begin?”

“Tell us about the rape first,” said Jack. “Who and where?”

“I don’t know her name,” said Virgil. “It was last Sunday. I don’t know her address, other than it’s in Surrey. I could take you to the place.”

“The one in the newspaper?” said Jack. “Where the reporters are speculating that the assault is linked to other rapes?”

“Yeah. I did others, too, but one should be enough for credibility.”

“Agreed, but I want details,” demanded Jack. “Something not in the papers.”

“Her place was on the second floor. I was able to stand on the railing of the balcony below and climbed up onto her balcony. She had left the balcony door —”

“The papers said entry was gained through the balcony,” said Laura.

“Yeah, well, I did a couple of things the papers didn’t say.”

“Such as?” asked Jack.

“I wore a condom. I didn’t want her to get pregnant or anything.”

“Bullshit, you wore it because you were afraid of leaving DNA,” said Jack, sarcastically.